Handle interlock arrangement for a pair of electric circuit breakers

ABSTRACT

Two manually-operable circuit breakers are mounted side by side in reversely positioned relationship and are staggered lengthwise to align the handles. The aligned handles are connected by a handle tie member to prevent both handles from being in the ON position simultaneously.

Unlted States Patent [1 1 [111 3,789,169 Yazvac Jan. 29, 1974 HANDLE INTERLOCK ARRANGEMENT 3,492,448 1/1970 Phillips, Jr. 200/50 c FOR A PAIR OF ELECTRIC CIRCUIT 3,421,128 1/1969 Klein 335/160 BREAKERS 3,319,020 5/1967 Shaffer 200/50 c Inventor: Thomas A. Yazvac, Cedar Rapids,

Iowa

Assignee: Square D. Company, Park Ridge, Ill.

Filed: Oct. 12, 1972 Appl. No.: 297,110

US. Cl 200/50 C, 335/160, 337/143 Int. Cl. H0lh 33/46 Field of Search 337/43; 335/160, 11;

200/D1G. 6, 50 C References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1941 Loache ZOO/DIG. 6

Primary Examiner-Harold Broome Attorney, Agent, or Firm-H. G. Thibault; H. .1. Ba h un.

Two manually-operable circuit breakers are mounted side by side in reversely positioned relationship and are staggered lengthwise to align the handles. The aligned handles are connected by a handle tie member to prevent both handles from being in the ON position simultaneously.

ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures HANDLE INTERLOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR A PAIR OF ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKERS This invention relates to a handle interlock means for a pair of manually-operable circuit breakers.

In accordance with the invention, two circuit breakers are mounted side by side on a panel in reversely positioned and staggered relationship to align their operating handles. The aligned handles are joined by a handle tie member which prevents the handles from being in the ON position simultaneously and also serves to facilitate their simultaneous operation.

The arrangement of the present invention is particularly useful in those circumstances wherein the user has the option of an alternate power source. One example is in a mobile home wherein one of a pair of circuit breakers controls an internal power source such as a generator and the other circuit breaker controls an external power source such as a power outlet unit provided by a mobile home park.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved handle interlock arrangement for a pair of manuallyoperable circuit breakers whereby only one operating handle at a time can be in the ON position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of molded case circuit breakers and handle interlock means therefor in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the forward circuit breaker of FIG. 1 showing an operating handle in the OFF position.

Referring to the drawings, a pair of molded case circuit breakers l and 12 having elongated molded cases 14 and 16, respectively, are mounted on a panel P by mounting means more fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,365 issued May 16, 1972. The mounting means comprises identical pairs of mounting brackets Isa-18b and 20a20b and cooperating grooves in the cases 14 and 16. The circuit breakers l0 and 12 have respective operating handles and internal mechanisms similar to those of the circuit breaker disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,902,560, issued Sept. 1, 1959.

A box-shaped handle tie member 22 receives outer end portions of pivotally mounted operating handles 23 and 24 of the respective circuit breakers and 12, and is secured thereto by a rivet 25 passing through aligned openings in end walls of the member 22 and in the handles 23 and 24. The handle tie member 22 has an opening in a top wall for display of current rating indicia (not shown) on an upper surface of handle 24.

In accordance with the invention, the circuit breakers l0 and 12 are mounted side by side in reversely positioned relationship, and, because the handles 23 and 24 of the circuit breakers 10 and 12 are off-center longitudinally of their respective casings, the circuit breakers l0 and 12 are in longitudinally staggered relationship thereby to align the handles 23 and 24 transversely of the cases.

Because the circuit breakers l0 and 12 are reversely positioned endwise with respect to each other with their operating handles 23 and 24 aligned transversely of their respective cases, one of the circuit breakers will be turned ON and the other circuit breaker will be turned OFF when the outer end portions of both operating handles are moved together in the same direction by manual force exerted'against the tie member 22.

Upon automatic tripping of either of the circuit breakers l0 and 12, one of the handles 23 or 24 will move to a position intermediate the ON and OFF positions shown in FIG. 2 as explained more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 2,902,560 supra. Sufficient lost-motion is provided within the respective circuit breaker mechanisms, however, to enable the ON circuit breaker to trip without turning the OFF circuit breaker ON.

I claim:

1. An assembly comprising a pair of identical electric circuit breakers each having an elongated molded case and an operating handle pivotally mounted in the case, extending outwardly thereof, and having an outer end portion movable toward one end of the case to an ON position and toward an opposite end of the case to an OFF position, the circuit breakers being mounted sideby-side with their operating handles aligned transversely of the cases and being reversely positioned endwise with respect to each other to effect turning of one circuit breaker ON and the other circuit breaker OFF when the outer end portions of both operating handles are moved together in the same direction, and handle tie means rigidly connecting the outer end portions of the operating handles to each other for insuring movement thereof together as a unit in the same direction between their respective ON and OFF positions.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the operating handle of each circuit breaker is off-center longitudinally of the casing and the circuit breakers are longitudinally staggered to effect the alignment of their operating handles transversely of the cases. 

1. An assembly comprising a pair of identical electric circuit breakers each having an elongated molded case and an operating handle pivotally mounted in the case, extending outwardly thereof, and having an outer end portion movable toward one end of the case to an ON position and toward an opposite end of the case to an OFF position, the circuit breakers being mounted sideby-side with their operating handles aligned transversely of the cases and being reversely positioned endwise with respect to each other to effect turning of one circuit breaker ON and the other circuit breaker OFF when the outer end portions of both operating handles are moved together in the same direction, and handle tie means rigidly connecting the outer end portions of the operating handles to each other for insuring movement thereof together as a unit in the same direction between their respective ON and OFF positions.
 2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the operating handle of each circuit breaker is off-center longitudinally of the casing and the circuit breakers are longitudinally staggered to effect the alignment of their operating handles transversely of the cases. 